Looking for some straight forward advice

Preston Andreas wrote:

> is to use a wood conditioner made by Minwax and found at Lowes and HD. A

Pfah. I have a giant pine plant stand (my first large graph paper to wood
project.) I went over every inch of that stupid thing with the
pre-conditioner stuff and did everything absolutely by the book before
staining it a dark walnut color.

It looks really horrible. Every variation in the wood (around screw holes,
say) is darker, the end grain is darker, all the little knotty places are
four shades lighter.

I built some other project without the pre-conditioner stuff, and it came
out just the same. I can't see that the pre-treatment made the slightest
bit of difference.

(Don't remember just exactly what procedure I used, as I built that thing
years ago, but I was following the directions closely. At that point in
time, I had done some fairly substantial refinishing that had come out
well, and I was fairly confident of my ability to do decent finish work.)

YMMV, and a more determined and patient person might have had better luck,
or maybe with dyes or gels or something, but for my time/money pine gets
painted or varnished plain, but never stained.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
Confirmed post number: 16570 Approximate word count: 497100
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/

"Mike G" <[email protected]> wrote in message >
> Finish, any will do but the above is probably the easiest most fool proof
> and will provide enough protection for a computer desk. Still stain end
> grain to a much finer grit then the rest of the table.
>

I think Mike means to sand the end grain to a finer grit.

I like to use a pre-stain conditioner on pine, or a spit coat of shellac,
especially on the end grain.
Ed

Hello again-

Gosh Mike and Preston I can't thank you enough for your suggestions.

As I may or may not I have mentioned I am a jeweler by trade. Working
with wood is a wonderful new experience though vaguely familiar. :) In
fact I am finding that most of the tools I work with everyday are here
too just bigger and a wee bit louder. :) The biggest difference is the
whole question of finishes. HD and Lowes seem to have a fair selection
of choices but when I ask a clerk or look at a book I get so confused.
I know this is because I am still learning but it can be so
frustrating too.

A dear friend who knows wood way better than I ever will says the old
woodwork in my home is pine. My house was built between 1891 and 1901.
Since the exactly same woodwork is every house I have been in from the
same era I can definitely believe him. Its so common here that it has
to be something that was cheap and readily available back in the
1890s. I assume whatever finish was used was pretty cheap and easy as
well. I am very lucky because our woodwork has been left original and
unpainted. A lot of the Victorian houses around us were rentals and so
the woodwork was painted many times. Now if I could only find a good
way of mending the scratches left my a 100 plus years of residents
without losing that marvelous chocolate walnut finish. Sigh.... well
that's another project. Strange isn't how one tiny dyi leads to
another.

Anyway the recipe of a conditioner, stain or dye, and a wipe-on
varnish/polyurethane sounds like it will produce a finish that will
harmonize with the woodwork. I assume the conditioner will make the
pine more receptive to the stain and then the poly will make it
impermeable to spills and easy to clean? I often eat at my desk and I
am terrible about spilling stuff so that's a definite need. :)

On a happy note I spent my day building a 4x8" work table is the far
end of my lab today. Even hung some new lights. Now I have a proper
place to build and work wood. Tomorrow I will hit HD and my tiny scrap
pile to practice that finish.

Can't wait honestly. My lab is such a nice cool place to work this
time of year.

Take care-
Amy
=====================================================
For great deals on fabulous jewlery and gifts
check out www.crazycatgifts.com

You're pretty much right. Conditioner is only a small step better than
nothing. I didn't want to confuse the issue with wash coats of one pound
cut of shellac. It sounds like she is pretty stuck with Lowes or HD and may
not have a lot of finishing experience, so I was trying to give examples of
a couple of finishes that are easy enough to do and get satisfactory
results.

For my part, sorry Jummy, I avoid pine whenever possible. It is hard to
finish without blotching and it builds up resin on all my equipment.

Preston

"Silvan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Preston Andreas wrote:
>
> > is to use a wood conditioner made by Minwax and found at Lowes and HD.
A
>
> Pfah. I have a giant pine plant stand (my first large graph paper to wood
> project.) I went over every inch of that stupid thing with the
> pre-conditioner stuff and did everything absolutely by the book before
> staining it a dark walnut color.
>
> It looks really horrible. Every variation in the wood (around screw
holes,
> say) is darker, the end grain is darker, all the little knotty places are
> four shades lighter.
>
> I built some other project without the pre-conditioner stuff, and it came
> out just the same. I can't see that the pre-treatment made the slightest
> bit of difference.
>
> (Don't remember just exactly what procedure I used, as I built that thing
> years ago, but I was following the directions closely. At that point in
> time, I had done some fairly substantial refinishing that had come out
> well, and I was fairly confident of my ability to do decent finish work.)
>
> YMMV, and a more determined and patient person might have had better luck,
> or maybe with dyes or gels or something, but for my time/money pine gets
> painted or varnished plain, but never stained.
>
> --
> Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
> Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
> Confirmed post number: 16570 Approximate word count: 497100
> http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
>

Pine, dark walnut color, new woodworker.

Stain - gel stain, sand any end grain to a much finer grit then the rest.

Stain/finish, Watco walnut Danish oil.

Finish, any will do but the above is probably the easiest most fool proof
and will provide enough protection for a computer desk. Still stain end
grain to a much finer grit then the rest of the table.


--
Mike G.
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"AM Pittman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hello all-
>
> First I'll admit I am a novice at the whole woodworking thing but I
> get along ok.
>
> Anyway I have designed a simple pine farm style plank top table to use
> as a extra large computer desk. My dilema is finish. I want it to be
> dark reddish walnut to harmonized with the victorian wood work in the
> room. I am however somewhat clueless about what product to use.
>
> So heres my question is you wanted a dark, easy to apply, safe to use
> stain/varnish/sealer for a desk thats gonna get alot of use what
> product or combination of product would you use.? Ah before I sign off
> you should know I live in the boonies so I a bit limited to Lowes and
> Home Depot for choices. So please nothing too arcane.
>
> Thanks in advance to the folks willing to help a new woodworker.
>
> Amy
> =====================================================
> For great deals on fabulous jewlery and gifts
> check out www.crazycatgifts.com

I've had the same luck. I love pine furniture so I comprimised. I now use
cedar and use danish oil on it. To me, it gives it the pine look I want
but takes the oil beautifully and it's a very stable and yet light wood.

Don

"Silvan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Preston Andreas wrote:
>
> > is to use a wood conditioner made by Minwax and found at Lowes and HD.
A
>
> Pfah. I have a giant pine plant stand (my first large graph paper to wood
> project.) I went over every inch of that stupid thing with the
> pre-conditioner stuff and did everything absolutely by the book before
> staining it a dark walnut color.
>
> It looks really horrible. Every variation in the wood (around screw
holes,
> say) is darker, the end grain is darker, all the little knotty places are
> four shades lighter.
>
> I built some other project without the pre-conditioner stuff, and it came
> out just the same. I can't see that the pre-treatment made the slightest
> bit of difference.
>
> (Don't remember just exactly what procedure I used, as I built that thing
> years ago, but I was following the directions closely. At that point in
> time, I had done some fairly substantial refinishing that had come out
> well, and I was fairly confident of my ability to do decent finish work.)
>
> YMMV, and a more determined and patient person might have had better luck,
> or maybe with dyes or gels or something, but for my time/money pine gets
> painted or varnished plain, but never stained.
>
> --
> Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
> Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
> Confirmed post number: 16570 Approximate word count: 497100
> http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
>

Make one of these.
http://lib1.store.vip.sc5.yahoo.com/lib/plansnow/circular-saw-jigs-Big.jpg

I made the one being used on the left. VERY easy and you could cut the left
side for your jig saw or router. Got the idea from an old issue of
shopnotes.


"Silvan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Preston Andreas wrote:
>
> > is to use a wood conditioner made by Minwax and found at Lowes and HD.
A
>
> Pfah. I have a giant pine plant stand (my first large graph paper to wood
> project.) I went over every inch of that stupid thing with the
> pre-conditioner stuff and did everything absolutely by the book before
> staining it a dark walnut color.
>
> It looks really horrible. Every variation in the wood (around screw
holes,
> say) is darker, the end grain is darker, all the little knotty places are
> four shades lighter.
>
> I built some other project without the pre-conditioner stuff, and it came
> out just the same. I can't see that the pre-treatment made the slightest
> bit of difference.
>
> (Don't remember just exactly what procedure I used, as I built that thing
> years ago, but I was following the directions closely. At that point in
> time, I had done some fairly substantial refinishing that had come out
> well, and I was fairly confident of my ability to do decent finish work.)
>
> YMMV, and a more determined and patient person might have had better luck,
> or maybe with dyes or gels or something, but for my time/money pine gets
> painted or varnished plain, but never stained.
>
> --
> Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
> Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
> Confirmed post number: 16570 Approximate word count: 497100
> http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
>